Vehicle display device.



T. H. WADDEN.

VEHICLE DISPLAY DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 6, 1913.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.'

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40 tional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is THOMAS H. WADDEN, 0F KEOKUK, IOWA.

VEHICLE lDISPLAY DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. e, 1917.

Application led November 6, 1913. Serial N'o. 799,544.

'To all whom z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. WADDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Keokuk, in the county of Lee and Stateof Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Display Devices, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to devices such as are used for displaying identification numbers of vehicles such as automobiles, by use of the rays of light from the tail lamp.

It is one of the features of my invention to provide a casing structure for direct attachment to the bulls-eye holder of an ordinary bicycle or vehicle lamp so as to secure the benefit of the greatest illumination of the number plate or matter to be displayed.

A further feature consists in providing a flat reflector which is disposed at'such an angle with respect to the display plate, and with respect to the projection of rays of light from the source thereof, that all of the reflected rays Will be loblique to or will travel in lines oblique to the surface of the reflector thereby increasingthe intensity of the light rays reliected upon the display plate.

A further feature Yresides in the novel form of mounting for the reflector plate Within the display casing, and to means for fastening the reflector plate and a backing therefor when the casing is closed.

Other features and novel objects of the invention will be more fully described in con nection with the accompanying drawing and will be more particularly pointed .out' and ascertained in and by the appended claims.

In the drawingrFigure 1 is a viewin side elevation of adisplay device embodying one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2--2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a seca sectional view 'on line 4--4 of Figs1.

Like characters, of reference designate similar parts throughout the diii'erent figures of the drawing. f

As illustrated, 1 designates the body of a lamp such as is used upon bicycles and vehicles and which is provided with a mounting meanssuch as a hook 2. The body 1 is provided with the usual bulls-eye holder which consists of la iared extension 3 in which'a bulls-eye, indicated in dotted lines at 3', may be mounted. ,A tapered substanthe casing is open' at a point laterally of the projection of the light rays from the lamp 1 and the marginal portions of the open frontrwall are bent, as indicated at 9, to form top and bottom guide ways for a display plate.

The display plate is indicated at 10 and may be composed of translucent material in which transparencies are provided in, the form of the subject matter to be displayed, such as indicated at 11. The guides 9 will be formed to somewhat firmly grip the display plate 10 so that when the same is slid 1 endwise across and in front of the open front wall 8, it will be held in place by friction. The outer end of the casing is open and the edges of the back and front walls, 5 and 7, are bent to form guide ways 12 and V13, which are shown extending vertically of the casing to accommodate an end cover plate 14, forfclosing the said open end of the casing. The guide way 13v forms an abutment for the ends of the display plate, indicated at 15, so as to prevent movement of the display plate beyond a predetermined position.

A light reflector is provided in the form l of a fiat plate 16 which will preferably have a polished mirrored reiecting surface andl which will have an area at least'sufficient to include in the rays reflected therefrom the area occupied by plate. 10 carrying the subject matter to be displayed, such as the numerals 11. I havey devised novel means of mounting the reflector plate, which I will now describe in detail.

A backing 17 is provided which is preferably equal in area with the area of the reflector plate 16 and which is disposed rearwardly thereof to fsupport the same. rlhe height of the plate will preferably be substantially equal tothe height of the casing, as indicated in Fig. 3, and the plate 16 will be disposed in angular relation with respect to the longitudinal axis of the casing so that its one or inner end 18 will lie adjacent the back wall 5. I provide a'butments, preferably flanged as indicated at 19, for engaging the end edge 18 of the plate 16 and the corresponding end edge of the backing plate 17. The opposite end edge 20, abuts against the front wall 7 of the casing, laterally of the opening 8 therein. The backing plate 17d is provided with a forwardly turned edge margin 21 whichA extends forwardly of the reflector plate 20 into the guide way 13.

The guide way 13 is sufliciently enlarged so` as to take the retaining forwardly bent flange or edge 21 and also the -forward edge v22 of the end cover plate 14. It will thus be seen that when the end cover plate 14 is in place, it will lock both the backing plate and the reflector plate against displacement at both end edges of both plates. The angular disposition of said plates is such that v when the cover plate 14 is in a closed position the guide way 13 and the cover plate vat one end will so coact with the abutments 19 at the other end of said'plate that the plates will be fixed in position.

The rays of light coming from the source of-light, are indicated Aat 23. The rays of light reflected from the plate 16, are indicated at 24. It will be seen that the angle of reflection is uniformly the same throughout the refiecting field of the plate 1`6. `I have found that ,by having a flat reflecting plate 16 disposed in such relation with respect to the line of projection of the light rays from their source, or in other words, at such an angle to the angle of radiation of light, that I very appreciably and materially reduce refraction and cause such dissemination of the light with respect to the translucent slide or display plate 10, as to most effectively illuminate the transparent portions thereof.

the source at a, for instance, would travel an appreciably decreased distance with re- .sp'ect to the primary rays` striking the plate 16 at c, thus the reflected rays of incidence,

vsuch as at b, would have a' greater intensity than those at c. However, the intensity of the primary rays at e, passing through the reflected rays, will be somewhat lessened by Ithe time 'they reach or fall ,upon the reflector 16 at c. It will therefore .be seen that I l equalize the intensity' ofthe rays of incidence throughout the area of reflection so that there `will bea diffusion vor supply of light upon'the slide or display plate 1,0 of

wish to be limited thereto -eXcept for suolilimitations as the claims may import.

I claim 1. In a vehicle display device, the combination with a lamp having a light concentrating and projecting means associated therewith, a casing to receive longitudinal projection of the light rays therethrough from said lamp and having the outer end thereof open, said casing having a wall open. Vata point laterally of the projection ofthe rays from said lamp, a display plate for closing said opening, a reflector plate in said casing, a backing member for supporting the reflecting plate, an abutment for holding the backing member and reflecting plate at one point in the casing, and a Acover plate for the outer open end of said casing engaging said backing memberA to anchor the same at another point in said casing.

2. In a vehicle display device, the combination with a lamp structure, of .a rectangular casing extending therefrom to receive projection of the light rays longitudinally therein, said casing having a display opening, a display plate spanning said opening, a reflecting plate in said casing, a backing member for supporting said reflecting plate, an abutment for engaging the reflecting plate and backing member to hold the same against movement in said casing in one direction, said casing having an opeil end, and a cover plate for the open end engaging said backing member to hold the reecting plate against said abutment land against movement in another direction.

3. In a vehicle display device, a rectangular`elongated casing having an open end andclosure guides at the open end thereof, means for projecting light into lsaid casing, a display plate for said casing, a reflecting plate obliquely arranged in the casing*d a plate, abutments for engaging the ends of said backing y.plate and said Vreflecting plate at one end of the casing, one portion of said backing'plate being flanged to engage one of the closure guides atthe open end of said casing, and a Acover plate slidable in the guides of the open end of said casin en gageable with said flange to cause the acking plate to hold the reflecting plate in engagement with one wall of said casing and against displacement therein, said reflecting plate being adapted to reflect light` to the display matter, bstantially as described.

4.'In a .vehicle i Y' rojecting means, of a casing v off-i1;suhstantially/rectangular cross section tofrecei isplay device, the combil said projected light longi.' "130 tudinally, a reflecting plate closely fitting the abutments to prevent accidental rnove- 10 longitudinally Within the .casing and dago- -ment of the reflecting plate in another direcmovement in one. direction, and means on `Witnesses:

nally between opposite side Walls thereof, a tion.

cover plate, 'and a plurality of abutments on In testmon whereof I affix my signature the rear wall for engagement With one porin presence o tWo Witnesses.

tion of the reflecting plate to prevent its THOMAS H. WADDEN.

the reflecting plate engageable by the cover JOHN S. SPRowLs, plate at a point diagonally opposite from i W. R. C. KENDRICK. 

